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Sosa enjoys return to Cubs Convention, glosses over mistakes of past

When Sammy Sosa finally took the stage at the Cubs Convention after a 21-year absence, he carried an American flag, re-creating the memorable moment when he first took the field following the 9/11 break in 2001.

And that's what Sosa's return as an active Cubs alum should probably be about. He was great at putting on a show and embracing the fans.

The rest of it? The possibility of steroid use that tarnished the achievements of so many players from that era — does it really matter?

It will keep Sosa, Mark McGwire and several others out of the Hall of Fame. Now that 27 years have passed since Summer of Swat '98, we all have a pretty good idea of what actually happened.

There were attempts to ask Sosa what specifically he apologized for in his written statement released a few months ago. His answers were not specific and didn't really make sense.

Maybe it's better to let McGwire make a statement on Sosa's behalf, which he did in a guest appearance on “The Simpsons” a few decades ago.

“Do you want to know the terrifying truth, or do you want to see me sock a few dingers?” cartoon McGwire asked Bart and Lisa.

https://x.com/WatchMarquee/status/1880409981608161657

Dansby Swanson and Jed Hoyer seemed to hit on the proper spirit of the occasion. You don't have to ignore the negative parts of Sosa's memorable Cubs career, but there's also no point in dwelling on it.

“I will say I think everybody from kind of around that era would mimic the Sammy hop,” Swanson said. “It was pretty remarkable what he was able to do. Glad to have the opportunity to talk hitting with him at some point.”

Hoyer talked about sitting in the bleachers during a '98 game and being in awe at the star power Sosa brought to Wrigley Field.

“He captivated this market for a long time,” Hoyer said. “There hasn't been a star like him since then with the Cubs, really maybe in Chicago since then. So pretty special and I'm glad he's back.”

It's probably incorrect to say there hasn't been that much star power in Chicago since Sosa left, considering the Bulls just had a night to honor Derrick Rose and the Blackhawks won three Stanley Cup titles.

Cubs chairman Tom Ricketts announced Sosa and Derrick Lee as the 2025 inductees to the Cubs Hall of Fame. Lee had no complaints about being paired with his teammate of one season with the Cubs.

“He taught me a lot about hitting, one of the hardest workers you'll ever see,” Lee said.

Sosa mentioned making mistakes in life, claimed he wasn't apologizing for performance enhancing drugs in his statement, but he focused mostly on being back with the fans and looking forward to more Cubs-related events when he spoke to reporters.

“Look, it's 21 years,” Sosa said. “People, they say you grow and that's what happened to me. I believe me making that first step to get that statement out, I think it was the right time for me and the response right away was great.

“I'm glad that it happened, I'm glad that I'm back, I'm glad the fans responded the way they did. What else can I ask for?”

Besides the Hall of Fame announcement, there weren't any surprises at opening night of the convention, which continues all weekend at the Grand Sheraton.

Fans sang “Happy Birthday” to newcomer Kyle Tucker (No. 28). Hoyer talked about the focus for the rest of the off-season, which is bullpen and bench, rather than starting pitching or a third baseman from outside the organization.

“There's a lot of talent out there and we'll look to upgrade the roster however we can,” Hoyer said.

Tucker, acquired in a trade from Houston, is experiencing the convention for the first time but didn't shy away from setting lofty goals for the upcoming season.

“I think our team should have high expectations,” Tucker said. “We're a phenomenal organization with some really good players. We should expect to make the playoffs and make a run at the World Series. I don't think you should go into a season not expecting that.”

  Former Cubs outfielder Sammy Sosa talks to reporters Friday at the Cubs Convention. Mike McGraw/mmcgraw@dailyherald.com
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